Saskatoon, SK - Diamondbacks Hanging Them Up
It is with a heavy heart that the Saskatoon Senior Diamondbacks Fastpitch Club announce that we have ceased operations after 10 years and will not be fielding a team for the 2016 season.
Saskatoon Diamondbacks Hanging Them Up...
It is with a heavy heart that the Saskatoon Senior Diamondbacks Fastpitch Club announce that we have ceased operations after 10 years and will not be fielding a team for the 2016 season.
First and foremost I would like to thank Collin Schaan and his family on behalf of the Saskatoon Diamondbacks. None of this would of ever been possible without all the hard work you've put in to this organization from being a prawn to ordering hats and uniforms to booking hotels and flights. Truly one of the best to sponsor the game and made a small city team feel like a major league winner.
Also to all former members that have ever worn the Diamondback jersey whether it be for one tournament or all ten years It has been more than a pleasure to either play beside you or to coach you. This organization has gone through life and death together and the bond we built is forever family strong.
Internationally known as the team that takes their bus to every tournament whether it be a 30+ hour ride or either as the team that runs the TMZ website version for Fastpitch! We always let the way we played the game be the way others judged us. At times underestimated and under rated there was never any quit in this team.
Some of our highlights include the epic 2007 best of 5 Provincial championship battle against Aspen Interiors featuring their legendary pitching staff not to mention future Diamondbacks Trevor Ethier and Dean Holoien. No better way to end a back and forth series when it comes down to the final inning of game 5 in a 1 run ball game. Our pitching staff of Ryan Brand, Jeff Farion and James Zuk put us on the map of senior A ball that year by defeating Aspen.
In 2011, we finished 3rd place at the International Softball Congress behind 2 major circuit teams the Jarvis Travelers and Chicago/NY Gremlins. An incredible pitching duel between a hurt Holoein and a younger Potolicchio with the Minnesota Angels and Deano prevailing helped us to capture 3rd and was one of the best games I've been a part of. There is no bigger gamer in softball than Dean Holoein and to watch him pitch through pain and still hit bombs was unbelievable.
Championships, medals and trophies still didn't mean as much as the bus trips, plane rides and hotel shenanigans. Great team mates, good competition and big dream stories were what kept this team going for so many years. Veteran members Jimmy Climenhaga and Brennan Pokoyoway were the biggest reasons that kept this team together. Without there leadership our goal to compete with the worlds best would not have been possible. For the past 14 years I've been a Diamondback and even though my ball glove has taken me to many countries in the world to play and teams to play for I still always proudly represented the Diamondbacks.
Thanks again to all our fellow team mates, coaches, opponents, families, friends and fans for all the support throughout all the years.
"We'll always have the boys of summer"
Yours in Fastpitch,
Jon Queens Equina
